“Buy the ticket, take the ride,” was a favorite slogan of Hunter S. Thompson, and it pretty much defined both his work and his life. Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone showcases the roller-coaster of a career at the magazine that was his literary home.

5 out of 5 stars

Buy the ticket...this is a great compilation.

By
Shaun
on
11-21-11

Fear and Loathing in America

The Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist, 1968 - 1976

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 32 hrs and 13 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
111

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
97

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
97

Spanning the years between 1968 and 1976, these never-before-published letters show Thompson building his legend: running for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado; creating the seminal road book
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; twisting political reporting to new heights for
Rolling Stone; and making sense of it all in the landmark
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72.

5 out of 5 stars

biographical

By
GanjaPlanta
on
12-02-14

The Kitchen Readings: Untold Stories of Hunter S. Thompson

By:
Michael Cleverly,
Bob Braudis

Narrated by:
Eric Tollefson

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
46

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
41

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
41

Warning! This book contains the following: unsafe use of powerful firearms in combination with explosives; cultivation of illegal crops; impressionable minors being exposed to illicit activities; piloting of automobiles under impaired conditions; and transportation of large sums of cash across national borders. Please note: stunts performed in this book were undertaken by professionals. Do not attempt them at home.

5 out of 5 stars

Definitely a fun and enjoyable book

By
James
on
09-03-12

The Rum Diary

A Novel

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Christopher Lane

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
587

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
518

Story

4 out of 5 stars
523

Begun in 1959 by a twenty-two-year-old Hunter S. Thompson,
The Rum Diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the Caribbean boomtown that was San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the late 1950s.

5 out of 5 stars

i own this paperback..

By
Peter
on
03-26-13

Freak Kingdom

Hunter S. Thompson's Manic Ten-Year Crusade Against American Fascism

By:
Timothy Denevi

Narrated by:
Mark Boyett

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
102

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
83

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
81

Hunter S. Thompson is often misremembered as a wise-cracking, drug-addled cartoon character. This book reclaims him for what he truly was: a fearless opponent of corruption and fascism, one who sacrificed his future well-being to fight against it, rewriting the rules of journalism and political satire in the process. This skillfully told and dramatic story shows how Thompson saw through Richard Nixon's treacherous populism and embarked on a life-defining campaign to stop it.

5 out of 5 stars

great book

By
Clanton
on
04-18-19

Hell's Angels

A Strange and Terrible Saga

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Scott Sowers

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,081

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,876

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,870

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas author Hunter S. Thompson rocked the literary world with his mind-bending style of Gonzo journalism. First published in 1966,
Hell’s Angels is Thompson’s up-close and personal look at the infamous motorcycle gang during the time when its moniker was most feared.

5 out of 5 stars

Visions of the Future of Motorcycle Gangs

By
Joe Bloggs
on
07-13-13

Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone

The Essential Writing of Hunter S. Thompson

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Phil Gigante

Length: 17 hrs and 59 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
474

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
425

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
419

“Buy the ticket, take the ride,” was a favorite slogan of Hunter S. Thompson, and it pretty much defined both his work and his life. Fear and Loathing at Rolling Stone showcases the roller-coaster of a career at the magazine that was his literary home.

5 out of 5 stars

Buy the ticket...this is a great compilation.

By
Shaun
on
11-21-11

Fear and Loathing in America

The Brutal Odyssey of an Outlaw Journalist, 1968 - 1976

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 32 hrs and 13 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
111

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
97

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
97

Spanning the years between 1968 and 1976, these never-before-published letters show Thompson building his legend: running for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado; creating the seminal road book
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; twisting political reporting to new heights for
Rolling Stone; and making sense of it all in the landmark
Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72.

5 out of 5 stars

biographical

By
GanjaPlanta
on
12-02-14

The Kitchen Readings: Untold Stories of Hunter S. Thompson

By:
Michael Cleverly,
Bob Braudis

Narrated by:
Eric Tollefson

Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
46

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
41

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
41

Warning! This book contains the following: unsafe use of powerful firearms in combination with explosives; cultivation of illegal crops; impressionable minors being exposed to illicit activities; piloting of automobiles under impaired conditions; and transportation of large sums of cash across national borders. Please note: stunts performed in this book were undertaken by professionals. Do not attempt them at home.

5 out of 5 stars

Definitely a fun and enjoyable book

By
James
on
09-03-12

The Rum Diary

A Novel

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Christopher Lane

Length: 6 hrs and 20 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
587

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
518

Story

4 out of 5 stars
523

Begun in 1959 by a twenty-two-year-old Hunter S. Thompson,
The Rum Diary is a brilliantly tangled love story of jealousy, treachery, and violent alcoholic lust in the Caribbean boomtown that was San Juan, Puerto Rico, in the late 1950s.

5 out of 5 stars

i own this paperback..

By
Peter
on
03-26-13

Freak Kingdom

Hunter S. Thompson's Manic Ten-Year Crusade Against American Fascism

By:
Timothy Denevi

Narrated by:
Mark Boyett

Length: 10 hrs and 4 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
102

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
83

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
81

Hunter S. Thompson is often misremembered as a wise-cracking, drug-addled cartoon character. This book reclaims him for what he truly was: a fearless opponent of corruption and fascism, one who sacrificed his future well-being to fight against it, rewriting the rules of journalism and political satire in the process. This skillfully told and dramatic story shows how Thompson saw through Richard Nixon's treacherous populism and embarked on a life-defining campaign to stop it.

5 out of 5 stars

great book

By
Clanton
on
04-18-19

Hell's Angels

A Strange and Terrible Saga

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Scott Sowers

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,081

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,876

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
1,870

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas author Hunter S. Thompson rocked the literary world with his mind-bending style of Gonzo journalism. First published in 1966,
Hell’s Angels is Thompson’s up-close and personal look at the infamous motorcycle gang during the time when its moniker was most feared.

5 out of 5 stars

Visions of the Future of Motorcycle Gangs

By
Joe Bloggs
on
07-13-13

The Curse of Lono

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 5 hrs and 7 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
243

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
220

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
222

This enormously eccentric book takes listeners on a crazy journey with renowned gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson.
The Curse of Lono is to Hawaii what
Fear and Loathing was to Las Vegas: the crazy tales of a journalist's "coverage" of a news event that ends up being a wild ride to the dark side of Americana. Originally published in 1983,
The Curse of Lono features all of the zany, hallucinogenic wordplay for which Hunter S.Thompson became known and loved.

5 out of 5 stars

Hunter S Thompson is my hero!

By
J. Hand
on
02-18-15

The Great Shark Hunt

Strange Tales from a Strange Time

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Scott Sowers

Length: 29 hrs and 6 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
244

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
209

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
211

Originally published in 1979, the first volume of the best-selling "Gonzo Papers" is now back in print.
The Great Shark Hunt is Dr. Hunter S. Thompson's largest and, arguably, most important work, covering Nixon to napalm, Las Vegas to Watergate, Carter to cocaine. These essays offer brilliant commentary and outrageous humor, in signature Thompson style. Thompson's razor-sharp insight and crystal clarity capture the crazy, hypocritical, degenerate, and redeeming aspects of the explosive and colorful '60s and '70s.

3 out of 5 stars

Like HST but...

By
Amazon Customer
on
12-26-13

Fear and Loathing

On the Campaign Trail '72

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Scott Sowers

Length: 17 hrs and 2 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
362

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
328

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
328

An iconic and controversial figure in American literature, Hunter S. Thompson displayed a brilliance that forever changed journalism. Thompson’s follow-up to
The Proud Highway, this second volume of private, never-before-published letters spans the years 1968 through 1976. Addressed to such luminaries as Tom Wolfe, Kurt Vonnegut, and Jimmy Carter, this incisive collection showcases Thompson’s raw and starkly honest thoughts on a pivotal era in U.S. history.

4 out of 5 stars

Love the book, not the performance.

By
Reno
on
07-29-13

Songs of the Doomed

More Notes on the Death of the American Dream

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Hunter S. Thompson

Length: 3 hrs and 2 mins

Abridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
108

Performance

4 out of 5 stars
77

Story

4 out of 5 stars
76

With Thompson's trademark insight and passion about the state of American politics and culture, Songs of the Doomed charts the long, strange trip from Kennedy to Quayle in Thompson's freewheeling, inimitable style. Spanning four decades - 1950 to 1990 - Thompson is at the top of his form while fleeing New York for Puerto Rico, riding with the Hell's Angels, investigating Las Vegas sleaze, grappling with the "Dukakis problem", and finally, detailing his infamous lifestyle bust.

3 out of 5 stars

Inconsistent but well worth it

By
Michael Friedman
on
04-17-18

The Proud Highway

Saga of a Desperate Southern Gentleman, 1955-1967 (The Gonzo Letters, Book 1)

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Malcolm Hillgartner

Length: 27 hrs and 16 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
83

Performance

5 out of 5 stars
73

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
75

Here is the private and most intimate correspondence of one of America's most influential and incisive journalists - Hunter S.Thompson. In letters to a who's who of luminaries, from Norman Mailer toCharles Kuralt, Tom Wolfe to Lyndon Johnson, William Styron to Joan Baez - not to mention his mother, the NRA, and a chain of newspaper editors - Thompson vividly catches the tenor of the times in 1960s America and channels it all through hisown razor-sharp perspective.

5 out of 5 stars

A Longview Into Hunters Personal Correspondence

By
Gary
on
02-02-19

Generation of Swine

Tales of Shame and Degradation in the '80's

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Scott Sowers

Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
81

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
71

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
70

Here, against a backdrop of late-night tattoo sessions and soldier-of-fortune trade shows, Dr. Thompson is at his apocalyptic best - covering emblematic events such as the 1987-88 presidential campaign, with Vice President George Bush, Sr., fighting for his life against Republican competitors like Alexander Haig, Pat Buchanan, and Pat Robertson; detailing the GOP's obsession with drugs and drug abuse; while at the same time capturing momentous social phenomena as they occurred, like the rise of cable, satellite TV, and CNN - 24 hours of mainline news.

5 out of 5 stars

Gonzo Papers, vol 2

By
Paul
on
10-01-13

Hey Rube

Blood Sport, the Bush Doctrine, and the Downward Spiral of Dumbness

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Scott Sowers

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
89

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
82

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
83

New York Times best-selling author and acclaimed Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson is known for such groundbreaking works as
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas. A provocative collection of rants and reflections from Thompson’s columns at ESPN.com,
Hey Rube offers outrageously brilliant insight on topics ranging from the 2000 election to his unconventional take on professional sports (“eliminate the pitcher” to improve Major League Baseball).

3 out of 5 stars

A bit of the best, a bit of the... not best.

By
m.w.
on
08-03-12

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Ron McLarty

Length: 6 hrs

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
3,400

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,680

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,681

In Las Vegas to cover a motorcycle race, Raoul Duke (Thompson) and his attorney Dr. Gonzo (inspired by a friend of Thompson) are quickly diverted to search for the American dream. Their quest is fueled by nearly every drug imaginable and quickly becomes a surreal experience that blurs the line between reality and fantasy. But there is more to this hilarious tale than reckless behavior, for underneath the hallucinogenic facade is a stinging criticism of American greed and consumerism.

2 out of 5 stars

Too Much Fear and Loathing

By
Hugh
on
05-21-11

Kingdom of Fear

Loathsome Secrets of a Star-Crossed Child in the Final Days of the American Century

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Scott Sowers

Length: 10 hrs and 55 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
127

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
107

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
105

Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson penned groundbreaking works as outrageous—and provocative—as the author himself. His memoir Kingdom of Fear provides compelling insight into his life and literary output.

3 out of 5 stars

Only for the most hardcore fans of HST.

By
Shaun
on
11-28-12

Screwjack

By:
Hunter S. Thompson

Narrated by:
Scott Sowers

Length: 50 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
47

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
44

Story

4 out of 5 stars
44

Hunter S. Thompson's notorious
Screwjack is as salacious, unsettling, and brutally lyrical as it has been rumored to be since the private printing in 1991 of 300 fine collectors' copies and 26 leather-bound presentation copies. Only the first of the three pieces included here - "Mescalito", published in Thompson's 1990 collection
Songs of the Doomed - has been available to the public, making the audio edition of
Screwjack a major publishing event.

2 out of 5 stars

Better to read it

By
Michelle Dossey
on
05-17-17

The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

By:
Tom Wolfe

Narrated by:
Luke Daniels

Length: 13 hrs and 37 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4 out of 5 stars
495

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
451

Story

4 out of 5 stars
455

Tom Wolfe - one of the 20th century’s foremost voices in cultural criticism - went from local news reporter to international icon in 1968, with the publication of The Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test. Now voiced with vivacity and vigor by Audible Hall of Fame narrator Luke Daniels, the non-fiction swan-dive delves into the world of hippies, hedonism, and everything in between.

5 out of 5 stars

Extremely well-narrated

By
JE
on
03-29-19

Outlaw Journalist

The Life and Times of Hunter S. Thompson

By:
Professor William McKeen

Narrated by:
Fred Berman

Length: 15 hrs and 46 mins

Unabridged

Overall

4.5 out of 5 stars
91

Performance

4.5 out of 5 stars
77

Story

4.5 out of 5 stars
78

Esteemed author and journalism professor William McKeen chronicles the mesmerizing life of legendary Gonzo journalist and
Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas author Hunter S. Thompson. Thompson’s childhood is detailed, along with his explosive relationship with his editors at
Playboy and
Rolling Stone, his drug use, his controversial persona, and life at his secluded Colorado home.

5 out of 5 stars

Very enlightening and well written

By
D. Lichtenstein
on
05-27-17

Publisher's Summary

Hunter S. Thompson, "smart hillbilly"; boy of the South; born and bred in Louisville, Kentucky; son of an insurance salesman and a stay-at-home mom; public school-educated; jailed at 17 on a bogus petty robbery charge; member of the US Air Force (airman second class); copy boy for Time; writer for The National Observer; et cetera.

From the outset, he was the wild man of American journalism, with a journalistic appetite that touched on subjects that drove his sense of justice and intrigue, from biker gangs and 1960s counterculture to presidential campaigns and psychedelic drugs. He lived larger than life and pulled it up around him in a mad effort to make it as electric, anger-ridden, and drug-fueled as possible.

Now Juan Thompson tells the story of his father and of their getting to know each other during their 41 fraught years together. He writes of the many dark times, of how far they ricocheted away from each other, and of how they found their way back before it was too late. He writes of growing up in an old farmhouse in a narrow mountain valley outside of Aspen (Woody Creek, Colorado, a ranching community with Hereford cattle and clover fields)...of the presence of guns in the house, the boxes of ammo on the kitchen shelves behind the glass doors of the country cabinets, where others might have placed china and knickknacks...of climbing on the back of Hunter's Bultaco Matador trail motorcycle as a young boy, and father and son roaring up the dirt road, trailing a cloud of dust...of being taken to bars in town as a small boy, Hunter holding court while Juan crawled around under the barstools, picking up change and taking his found loot to Carl's Pharmacy to buy Archie comic books...of going with his parents as a baby to a Ken Kesey/Hells Angels party with dozens of people wandering around the forest in various stages of undress, stoned on pot, tripping on LSD....

He writes of his growing fear of his father; of the arguments between his parents reaching frightening levels; and of his finally fighting back, trying to protect his mother as the state troopers are called in to separate father and son. And of the inevitable - of mother and son driving west in their Datsun to make a new home, a new life, away from Hunter; of Juan's first taste of what "normal" could feel like....

We see Juan going to Concord Academy, a stranger in a strange land, coming from a school that was a log cabin in the middle of hay fields, Juan without manners or socialization.... Going on to college at Tufts; spending a crucial week with his father; Hunter asking for Juan's opinion of his writing. And he writes of their dirt biking on a hilltop overlooking Woody Creek Valley, acting as if all the horrible things that had happened between them had never taken place, and of being there, together, side by side.... And, finally, movingly, he writes of their long, slow pull toward reconciliation....

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Hunter Remembered

Hearing Juan retell life with his father Hunter S. Thompson was a roller coaster ride of bone chilling and heart warming recollections.

I knew Hunter in the early to mid 90's as he was going through his polo phase. Juan's portrayal is spot on with my memories- with the added benefit of a lifelong relationship as sole child of this complex and endearing, larger than life, character.

One of the unique opportunities that The Listener gets to experience is the similarity of Juan's voice to his father's in tone and cadence.

If you ever wanted to know what life with The Real Hunter S. Thompson was like- listen to Stories I Tell Myself.

Condolences and congratulations to Juan on surviving and thriving this unique voyage.

Great portray of an Adult Child

Juan Thompson's book was a healing story of an Adult Child of an Alcoholic. The alcoholic just happens to be the brilliantly wild Hunter S.. The story had great rhythm and I followed it with ease. Juan is a miracle, it's a miracle that he survived his childhood and became a stable adult. He seems to of healed throughout the years and this book appears to me to be a continuation of that healing. Great stories - a must read!

Expectations unfulfilled but well-read

I liked this book from the start. Juan reads his own material very well. I'll admit I read it hoping it would inspire me to read more HUnter S Thompson. But it did not. Quite the opposite. And about 2/3 or 3/4 of the way through, I grew impatient with the story line which was about Juan grappling with did his dad really love him. And gun cleaning. Way too much attention was paid to gun cleaning. Juan definitely was the one to read his own story, though. He did a good job.

It only makes sense his son would be great.

Hunter Thompson will (to me at least) be one of the most interesting figures of the 20th century. Despite his Raul duke persona being so infamous, the truth about hunter has always been a little muddy.

This book changes that and also introduces us to another person worthy of our interest for his ability. And also has a tremendous story to tell.

The fact that Juan reads this himself, makes what would have been an interesting read all by itself, a very intimate and compelling experience. This is, real talk folks, one of the top 5 audiobook experiences I've ever had.

Not good...

Celebrating the life of a terrible father because he was famous. Hunter S. Thompson was a brilliant writer, no doubt about it. In this, his son writes about him and his life as an alcoholic, drug addict, self centered rebel. Juan does not have his father's talent for writing and frankly, I'm not sure why he wrote this book. Oh, wait...I guess he made money off of my purchase! Save yourself the time and just google Hunter S. Thompson and read his books. You will thank me.

Outstanding memoir

Wonderful homage to a complicated man. Very emotional and poignant, has one constantly reflecting on your own relationships with your father and your own son. Been a wonderful couple of hours and very well narrated.

This was more then I bargain for

They story written and the narration by the author go together famously. Especially because that is what can make or break a audio book. Once i started this I couldn't stop. It is a humanizing look at the enigma Hunter S. Thompson and a very personal account to what means to love and care for someone riding the roller coaster life. Its amazing how much i felt i could relate to Juan's story which i did not expect at the beginning. I think this is a great book for anyone that has been involved with Al-Anon or the 12 steps program.

Everything I wanted to hear

This story gives an insight into the man who we all wanted to get to know.

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Overall

3 out of 5 stars

Performance

3 out of 5 stars

Story

3 out of 5 stars

Colin Balzli

10-28-17

Not what I expected

If you’re expected something as funny and crazy as hunter s Thompson’s own pieces, this will leave you disappointed. If you’re hoping for a different viewpoint on the life of hunter then this might be for you

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

4 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Hell T

09-27-16

Great

Found Juan to seem to sigh through it a little, like he was bored of reading it but a great insight into HST.

Overall

5 out of 5 stars

Performance

5 out of 5 stars

Story

5 out of 5 stars

Killian

04-01-16

Just as tangibly interesting as assumed.

Very interesting to hear about HST from a source that doesn't see him as either a lunatic or a god. It's not written in the style of Hunter but it would be foolish and wrong to assume it would be. Saying that, it is well written. Being very much influenced by his works, it is fascinating to hear more about the man himself.